Ochra Soup

Ingredients

1 large slice of ham (cold boiled ham is best)

2 pounds of the lean of fresh beef

1/4 pound of butter

12 large tomatas

5 dozen ochras

salt

cayenne pepper

Instructions

Take ham and two beef; cut all the meat into small pieces. Add butter slightly melted, tomatas pared and cut small, ochras cut into slices not thicker than a cent, and salt and cayenne pepper to your taste. Put all these ingredients into a pot; cover them with boiling water, and let them stew slowly for an hour. Then add three quarts of hot water, and increase the heat so as to make the soup boil. Skim it well, and stir it frequently with a wooden or silver spoon.

Boil it till the tomatas are all to pieces, and the ochras entirely dissolved. Strain it, and then serve it up with toasted bread cut into dice, put in after it comes out of the pot.

This soup will be improved by a pint of shelled Lima beans, boiled by themselves, and put into the tureen just before you send it to table.